How to reset PC removing everything on Windows 11

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You can use the “Reset this PC” feature to wipe out the hard drive and reinstall Windows 11 if you plan to decommission the computer, or when the device is not working correctly, you want to speed up the system, or you have to fix battery and apps problems.

On Windows 11, the “Reset this PC” feature allows you to quickly reset a computer to the factory settings using the local files or downloading a fresh copy of the OS from the cloud, ensuring that your files, settings, and application get erased beyond recovery.

In this guide, you will learn the steps to use “Reset this PC” to reinstall Windows 11 without keeping your files after an upgrade if the device is having problems or you are dealing with apps or system configuration issues.

Windows 11 reset this PC removing everything with local reinstall

To reset Windows 11 erasing everything on the hard drive, use these steps:

1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

2. Click on System.

3. Click on Recovery on the right side.

   

4. Under the “Recovery options” section, in the “Reset this PC” setting, click the Reset PC button.

   

5. Click the Remove Everything option.

   

6. Select the Local reinstall option to use the local image to reinstall Windows 11 removing everything on the computer.

   

7. Click the Next button.

8. Click the Reset button.

   

Once you complete the steps, the feature will reset Windows 11 using the locally available image erasing everything on the hard drive, including files, settings, and apps.

Windows 11 reset this PC removing everything with cloud download

To reset your Windows 11 computer with the “Cloud download” option without keeping your files, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

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2. Click on System.

3. Click on Recovery on the right side.

   

4. Under the “Recovery options” section, in the “Reset this PC” setting, click the Reset PC button.

   

5. Click the Remove everything option.

   

6. Select the Cloud download option to download a fresh copy of Windows 11.

   

7. (Optional) Click the Change settings option if you plan to get rid of the device.

   

8. Turn on the Clean data toggle switch to securely erase all the drives.

   

9. Click the Confirm button.

10. Click the Next button.

11. Click the Reset button.

    

After you complete the steps, a fresh image of Windows 11 will download, and it will be used to reset the device removing everything on the hard drive.

Windows 11 reset this PC removing everything with Advanced startup

To reset a computer using local reinstall or cloud download from boot with the Advanced startup settings, use these steps:

1. Start computer.

2. Immediately after the Power-On Self-Test (POST), press the Power button again to shut down.

3. Repeat steps No. 1 and 2 twice, and in the third restart, the operating system should enter in the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE).

   Quick note: Windows 11 includes multiple ways to open the Advanced startup settings. If you cannot access the recovery environment, you can try these other options.

4. Click the Advanced options button.

5. Click on Troubleshoot.

   

6. Click on Reset this PC option.

   

7. Select the Remove everything to wipe out the hard drive and reinstall a fresh copy of Windows 11.

   

8. Click the Just remove my files option if you plan to keep the device. Or select the Fully clean the drive option if you plan to get rid of it.

   

9. Select the Cloud download option to re-download Windows 11, instead of using the locally available image. (If you prefer to use the local image, select the Local reinstall option.)

   

10. Click the Reset button.

Once you complete the steps, the feature will reset the computer to default settings by removing everything and reinstalling a fresh copy of Windows 11.